Chatter by the Cherry Tree

TV and online flower forecasts are charting the progress of the sakura zensen (cherry-blossom front) as it gradually blooms its way up from Kyushu to Hokkaido over the course of the month, leaving a sea of blue tarps and a slew of sloshed salarymen in its petal-spotted tracks.
But it’s not just the salarymen out in the parks propped up against tree trunks – this time-honored Japanese custom is shared by families, students, friends, and foreigners alike. It can be a serious business too, with groups sending a member out to the hanami site early in the morning to basho tori (claim) a prime picnic possie.
Armed with tasty hanami bento (picnic lunchboxes) and endless supplies of ocha (tea), biru (beer) and nihon-shu (Japanese liquor), there’s no better way to spend a spring day. Whoever you find yourself exchanging sake and wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) with, allow your Japanese to blossom with these handy hanami phrases.